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Clear Creek County's GIS Program
Clear Creek County's GIS program was initiated through a partnership project with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Through this project, Clear Creek County was able to start a small Personal Computer (PC) based GIS with some foundation data from CDOT on the recent mapping for the I-70 corridor. Since that time, the GIS project has grown to include data developed by other agencies such as the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, United States Geological Survey and others. The sharing of information through government agencies saves taxpayer dollars and maximizes the value of data investments.

DefinitionA Geographic Information System (GIS) is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information.

In simpler terms, GIS is a computer system capable of holding and using data describing places on the earth's surface.

Differences Between GIS and Other Systems
Many computer programs, such as spreadsheets, statistics packages, or drafting packages can handle simple geographic or spatial data, but this does not necessarily make them a GIS. A true GIS links spatial data with geographic information about a particular feature on the map.

The Database Concept
A GIS doesn't hold maps or pictures, it holds a database. The database concept is central to a GIS and is the main difference between a GIS and drafting or computer mapping systems, which only produces a good graphic output. All contemporary geographic information systems incorporate a database management system.

A GIS gives you the ability to associate information with a feature on a map and to create new relationships that can determine the suitability of various sites for development, evaluate environmental impact, identify the best location for a new facility, and so on.